Giorgio De Chirico (1888 - 1978) Greece
Watercolor on Paper
Measure 10"in H x 7"in W and 14 1/4"in H x 11 1/2"in W with frame
Known for: Pre-surrealist painting
Biography: Born in Volos, Greece, and of Italian descent, Giorgio de Chirico was inspired from a young age by philosophy, European Symbolist art, and classical antiquity which would all thematically materialize throughout his creative career as a painter, graphic artist, sculptor, theatrical designer, and author. After studying at the Higher School of Fine Arts in Athens until 1906, de Chirico and his family moved to Munich, where he completed his training at the Academy of Fine Arts. He traveled widely between numerous Italian cities thereafter and made a pivotal trip to Paris in 1911, where he created and exhibited many important works, while meeting influential figures like Pablo Picasso and Apollinaire. After suffering a nervous breakdown during World War I, de Chirico created metaphysical paintings with Carlo , which featured haunting juxtapositions of everyday objects in unfamiliar contexts. He had his first solo exhibition at the Casa d'Arte Bragaglia, Rome, in 1919, and his work was greatly admired by the new Surrealist members, who championed him as a precursor. He did not identify with them, however, and soon returned to a traditional style inspired by the masters in the early 1920 s. Characterized largely by a poetic sense of metaphor, enigma, and nostalgia, de Chiricos works are included at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Tate Gallery, and Metropolitan Museum of Art. (cko)